Artificial refrigeration



March 12, 1935.

D. T. WRIGHT 1,994,031

ARTIFICIAL REFRIGERATION Filed May 16, 1955 Patented Mar. 12, 1935 I ,1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

. VS M HN..-

ARTIFICIAL: REFRlG aA'rron I Daniel Thew, wright, wasningma b.Application May 16,193i s rial 310.671.3352

T 1 Gianni ,(01. 62.4195) This invention relatesl to .an improvement infrigerant condenser coil C, the expander D, exclosed circulating coolingsystems for refrigerchanger E and absorber F. The refrigerant, i. e.,ators. (j ammomavappr is liberatedin the gener It is conventional in'absorption systems of passes throughrectlflerfi condensed in 5refrigeration tocause therefrigerant to cyclically coil 0. The liquidammonia comes in contact move from a g'eneratorthrough a condenser, anwith the hydrogen in the expander or evaporator evaporator, an absorber,exchangers and back D and evaporation with resultant cooling or to thegenerator. The cooling for the absorber refrigeration occurs. The heatladen ammonia and the condenser is effected by the use of water vaporand hydrogen now pass to the absorber F.

in many commercial systems. Cooling by water Here they separate. Thehydrogen returns to 10 possesses many advantages over air cooling; firstthe expander D while the ammonia vapor is water is practically alwaysmuch below room temabsorbed in distilled water, and returns to theperature and second its use requires no moving generator A. parts orenergy consuming equipment. Now, coming to the closed water circulatingThe water cooling system for a refrigerator is system for cooling theabsorber F and the am- 15 connected in to the water system of the houseor monia condensing coil C, it will be observed that building, the waterflowing from the house lines a water main or house line 1 is provided.The through the closed cooling system and thence to line 2 leads to alow point 3 from which line 4 the sewer. leads to the coil 5 encirclingthe absorber F.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced A vertical line 6 leads thewater from coil 5 to 20 in the past in the use of the closed watercooling the coil 7 which latter coil is in juxtaposition and systemsbecause when the source of supply is cut metallically bonded to theammonia condensing off the cooling system will not drain. In many coil0. The coil '7 terminates in a line 8 leading localities refrigeratorsare used only in the into pressure regulator 9 communicating in turnsummer months, being shut off during the winter with the discharge line10 which is connected to 25 when natural cooling precludes the necessityfor the sewer 11. artificial refrigeration. Furthermore, in summer Theline 2 is provided with a control valve 12 homes and like places it isoften desirable to for shutting off the source of water supply to shutoff the refrigerator during periods of abthe cooling system. The valve12 is placed in a sence of the occupants. With the equipment section ofthe pipe 2 which preferably inclines 30 heretofore employed therefrigerator could be toward the supply line 1 so that when the watershut off but the cooling system remained filled system of the house isdrained the portion of the or substantially filled with water. In coldpipe 2 between the valve 12 and the main 1 will weather the waterfreezes and bursts the cooldrain back into the main 1.

ing system. Additionally, the condensing coil The gate valve 12 isprovided on the cooling sys- 35 for the refrigerant is usuallymetallically bonded tem side with a small disc vent cock 13 which may tothe water coil and the bursting of the water be of any suitableconstruction, for example, it coil therefore virtually destroys theentire remay be similar to a radiator valve. frigerating unit. A by-passline 14 provided with valve 15 con- Because of these disadvantagesabsorption nects the low point 3 of the system with the 40 systems ofrefrigeration have not been adopted discharge line 10 or the sewer 11.by many people who otherwise would use them. It will be observed thatthe cooling system is a It is the purpose and object of the presentinclosed one and that when the valve 12 is open vention to overcome thedifficulties above with vent cook 13 and valve 15 closed, the coolingenumerated and provide a closed water cooling water flows from houseline 1 through the system 45 system which can be quickly andexpeditiously including pipes 2, 3, coil 5, pipe 6, coil '7, pipe 8,drained. pressure regulator 9, and pipe 10 to the sewer 11.

The specific nature and characteristics of the Now, if the valve 12 isclosed, and vent cock l3 invention will be made apparent as thedescripand valve 15 left closed, the system will not tion proceeds.drain. The water in pipe 10 may finally seep 1 The invention is more orless diagrammatically out but no flow beyond pipe 10 will occur. Theillustrated in the accompanying drawing to coil'7, pipe 6, coil 5, andpipes 2 and 4 remain which reference will now be made. full of water andare subject to being frozen with The refrigerator unit embracesgenerally the the accompanying damage. If valve 15 is opened,

gas heated generator A, the rectifier B, the rethe closed system stillwill not drain because there is no available air to displace the waterin the system. It, therefore, becomes necessary to open both valve 15and the vent cock 13 in order to completely drain the system. Openingvent cock 13 is alone insuflicient to effect the draining of the closedsystem because the coils 5 and '7 trap the water against flow throughpipe 10.

When valve 12 is closed and vent cock 13 and valve 15 opened, the systemwill complete drain as follows: Water in pipes 2 and 4, coil 5, line 6,and coil '7 will all drain out through line 14 and valve 15 while thewater in line 10 flows down therethrough.

Of course, it is obvious that the-supply main and sewer may not alwaysbe located as shown in the drawing but in order to effectively drainFrom the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides anefficient closed circulating system for refrigerators which can beconveniently and expeditiously drained at will.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

In a refrigerating unit of the character embracing a condensing coil andan absorber for the refrigerant, a closed water circulating systemadapted to be interposed between the water supply main and the sewerincluding a water coil surrounding the absorber and a water coil injuxtaposition to the condensing coil, the water in said water coil beingnormally trapped against flow when the source of supply is shut off, avalve for shutting ofi the system from the supply main, a discharge pipeconnecting the system to the sewer, a second valve controlled drain pipeconnecting a low point in the system to the sewer and an air vent cockfor admittingair to the system to displace the water therein when thesystem is shut off from said supply main and said valve controlled drainpipe is opened.

DANIEL THEW WRIGHT.

